This image provided by Sports Illustrated shows the cover of the magazine's 2013 Swimsuit Edition featuring Kate Upton, which will launch across multiple platforms on Monday, Feb. 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Sports Illustrated, Derek Kettela)

Frigid temperatures and skimpy bikinis don't mix, as model Kate Upton learned during a prestigious photo shoot.

On Tuesday morning, Upton told The Today Show she in Antarctica for the cover photo of Sports Illustrated's 2013 Swimsuit Issue. Clad in only a swimsuit bottom and a Parka, Upton claimed her hearing and vision began to fail as a result of hypothermia.

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In an interview with The Weather Channel's Al Roker that will air in full on Wednesday's morning's edition of Wake Up with Al, Upton said the frostbite experience was similar to a prolonged brainfreeze. Despite the scare, she says she would happily relive the painful Antarctic experience.

"I think it was worth it. It made me realize that I can do anything," said Upton. "I wouldn't trade that experience for anything because it's the most beautiful place I've ever been."

This year marks the 50th time SI has done a swimsuit issue, but for the first time, models were sent to all seven continents to shoot in front of incredible natural backdrops. Upton is featured on the cover for the second year in a row, and the 20-year-old is the first to have the honor in consecutive years since Tyra Banks in 1996-97.

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